Texas Tech football: What can we expect from Year 1 of Matt Wells?

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Da'Leon Ward #21 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates a touchdown with Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the game on November 3, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Da'Leon Ward #21 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates a touchdown with Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the game on November 3, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Former Utah State head coach Matt Wells will take the reins for Texas Tech football in 2019 and will aim to return the team to its winning ways.

The Texas Tech football program was once a model of consistency. From 1995-2010, a span of 16 seasons, the Red Raiders never finished with a losing record. For the last nine years of that streak, Texas Tech had at least eight wins per season, punctuated by the Mike Leach-led 2008 squad that finished 11-2.

Recent history has not been as kind in Lubbock, Texas — the Red Raiders have now finished with a losing record in four of the last five campaigns.

An uninspiring 5-7 mark in 2018 was enough to earn former coach Kliff Kingsbury the door — all the way to USC, and, of course, the Arizona Cardinals (as head coach). Kingsbury ended his coaching career (after starring as the Red Raiders’ quarterback) at Texas Tech with a 35-40 overall record.

Enter, Matt Wells.

The new boss comes from a highly successful Utah State program that went 11-2 last year, surpassing many expectations and finishing with a dominant 52-13 victory against North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. Wells leaves as the second-winningest coach in Utah State history and brings several key assistants with him.